September 11, 2013 ACF Regions V&VII TANF Priority Update Meeting Michelle Derr

1. ACF’s Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Consortium (FSSRC): Resources for Conducting and Using Quality Research Studies September 11, 2013 ACF Regions V&VIITANF Priority Update Meeting Michelle Derr

2. Context and Motivation • Since welfare reform there has been a significant decline in 3 areas related to welfare research: • State and local welfare and family self-sufficiency research capacity • State-generated research and state-specific program evaluation • Academic interest in TANF program operations including the use of administrative and program evaluation data • Simultaneously, there have been a number of advances in welfare research including: • Acceptance and adoption of RCT’s as the “gold standard” for answering causal questions • Advances in alternative methodologies examining causal relations • Increases in data and computing power which make it easier and faster to conduct research • Improvements in the academic training of new graduates entering the field

3. The Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Consortium (FSSRC) – The Response • A unified, multi-component approach • No one entity or funding mechanism could meet all research and program needs and address all issues • Diversity is a strength • Based on a network theory of implementation and change • FSSRC > sum of the parts • Consortium – “An association of two or more individuals or entities with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal.” • Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Consortium (FSSRC) Components • Advancing Welfare & Family Self-Sufficiency Research Project (a.k.a. Project AWESOME) • Family Self-Sufficiency & Stability Research Scholars Network (Scholars Network) • Data Center for Family Self-Sufficiency

4. Project AWESOME • OPRE contract with Mathematica Policy Research • Key Personnel: Michelle Derr, Alicia Meckstroth, Matt Stagner • Primary Activities • Document the state of the field • Development of a strategic plan for the FSSRC • Maintain engaged communication with key constituencies • Be “on call” to respond rapidly to emerging policy and research needs • Produce and disseminate products that enhance the knowledge base in family self‐sufficiency research • Support collaboration and coordination of activities of the Consortium including related cooperative agreements and research contracts

5. Family Self-Sufficiency Data Center • Cooperative agreement to develop, implement and support ongoing operations of a Data Center related to Family Self-Sufficiency programs and research. • The Center will serve as a hub to support the development of state and institutional capacity for data collection, linkage, and, where necessary, data storage. • Possible Center activities include: • Conducting a national assessment of state and needs of the field • Negotiating, supporting and maintaining ongoing access agreements for administrative and program evaluation data • Facilitating expedited data access and streamlined processes for accessing data • Engaging in activities to support secondary analysis of data • Conducting supporting activities • Working with State and local human services to improve data quality

6. Family Self-Sufficiency Research Scholars Network • 7 grants to Principal Investigators to  join a network of scholars • The Scholars Network will be a collaborative enterprise of scholars who undertake research in family self-sufficiency and stability that is both scientifically rigorous and highly relevant to family self-sufficiency programs and research. • Cooperative agreements with scholars to : • Work independently and collectively to  undertake a systematic, multi-disciplinary examination of the current gaps in family self-sufficiency and stability policies, programs and existing research focusing on two areas: • Research on the institutional state of the field of State and local human service agencies, CBOs and systems of support for children and families, • Contributions of stability and instability within and across various domains and disciplines. • Execute research and program evaluation activities in collaboration with human services agencies and CBOs • Participate in a multi-disciplinary learning community by collaborating with other members of the Network , Data Center and affiliated scholars

7. Family Self-Sufficiency and Stability Research Consortium (FSSRC)

8. Collectively, what will the Consortium do? • Maintain, elevate and promote an emphasis on rigor • For example, through Project AWESOME the Consortium will support the activities of the NAWRS Research Academy at the NAWRS Conference • Supplement state and local research capacity • Stimulate academic interest • Develop a multi-disciplinary conceptual framework • Focus on unanswered, but emerging interests • Exploit variation across states and localities as an opportunity for research, rather than a constraint • Facilitate research partnerships • Provide an institutional mechanism to be nimble and respond rapidly when policy and research issues arise, such as natural experiments

9. Timeline • Consortium is in its formative stages • Project AWESOME began October 2012 • Scholars Network and Data Center grants will be awarded by Fall2013 • FSSRC Steering Committee will begin planning October 2013 • Ongoing – Engage stakeholders and seek out opportunities for program and research collaborations • We want you to be engaged with us!

10. For More Information • Please contact: • Brendan Kelly, OPRE Project Officer • Brendan.Kelly@ACF.hhs.gov • (202) 401-5695     • Michelle Derr, Mathematica Policy Research Project AWESOME Project Director • mderr@mathematica-mpr.com • (202) 484-4830